Computer System and Method for Generating Client-Side Software Demonstrations

1. A method for demonstrating a software application having a plurality of demonstration pages, using a standalone computing device, the computing device in communication with a memory device, said method comprising: executing a scripting component by a processor of the standalone computing device, wherein the scripting component is configured to cause the standalone computing device, while the standalone computing device is not connected to a network, to perform the steps of: receiving a request from a user of the standalone computing device for a first demonstration page; retrieving a page template for the first demonstration page and populating the retrieved page template with data corresponding to the selected first demonstration page; identifying from the populated template at least one content element having at least a navigation element, and modifying the identified navigation element by associating executable code with the navigation element to refer to a second demonstration page, the associated executable code referencing at least an index position of the second demonstration page; updating a current page identifier based on an index position of the first demonstration page within an ordered list, and wherein the ordered list includes an array of indexed positions for the plurality of demonstration pages; displaying the first demonstration page to the user of the standalone computing device; receiving a selection of the navigation element within the first demonstration page from the user; and in response to the selection of the navigation element, executing the associated executable code and dynamically building by the standalone computing device the second demonstration page, updating the current page identifier with the index position of the second demonstration page, and providing the second demonstration page to the user.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first demonstration page and second demonstration page are included in the ordered list of demonstration pages that defines a linear navigation, said method further comprising providing in the second demonstration page a navigation menu that includes the ordered list of demonstration pages.

3. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising providing in the second demonstration page a description area that includes user instructions explaining how the user may interact with the second demonstration page.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the navigation element within the first demonstration page comprises a first action link, and said method further comprises: providing, in the description area of the second demonstration page, a second action link that represents a second navigation element within the second demonstration page, wherein the second action link is associated with a third demonstration page; and in response to a selection of the second action link that corresponds to the second navigation element, dynamically building by the computing device the third demonstration page and providing the third demonstration page to the user.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein identifying the at least one content element comprises providing, using a layout component, at least one positional characteristic of the at least one content element.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein retrieving a page template for the first demonstration page further comprises: retrieving at least one object definition from an object component, wherein the at least one object definition includes a data component to be displayed to the user; and updating the first demonstration page to include the data component.

7. A device for demonstrating a software application having a plurality of demonstration paces, said device comprising: a memory area for storing a plurality of page templates, wherein each page template corresponds to one or more pages produced by a software application when the software application is executed by a server computing device; a processor coupled to said memory area and programmed to execute a scripting component to configured to, while the device is not connected to a network, cause the processor to: receive a request from a user for a first demonstration page; retrieve a first page template of the plurality of page templates for the first demonstration page and populate the first page template with data corresponding to the selected first demonstration page; identify from the populated first page template at least one content element having at least a navigation element, and modify the identified navigation element by associating executable code with the navigation element to refer to a second demonstration page, the associated executable code referencing at least an index position of the second demonstration page; update a current page identifier based on an index position of the first demonstration page within an ordered list, and wherein the ordered list includes an array of indexed positions for the plurality of demonstration pages; receive a selection of the navigation element within the first demonstration page from the user; and in response to the selection of the navigation element, execute the associated executable code and dynamically build the second demonstration page, update the current page identifier with the index position of the second demonstration page; and a media output component coupled to said processor and configured to display the first demonstration page and the second demonstration page.

8. A device in accordance with claim 7 , wherein said processor is further programmed to modify the first demonstration page such that the second demonstration page is displayed without requesting data from the server computing device.

9. A device in accordance with claim 7 , wherein said processor is further programmed to provide in the first demonstration page a description area that includes user instructions explaining how the user may interact with the first demonstration page.

10. A device in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said processor is further programmed to: provide in the description area an action link that represents the navigation element; and in response to a selection of the action link, display the second demonstration page via said media output component.

11. A device in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the first demonstration page includes a page manipulation element associated with executable code for modifying an appearance of the first demonstration page, and said processor is further programmed to: provide in the description area an action link that represents the page manipulation element; and in response to a selection of the action link, execute the executable code that is associated with the page manipulation element to change the appearance of the first demonstration page.

12. A device in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the navigation element within the first demonstration page comprises a first action link provided in the description area of the first demonstration page, and said processor is further programmed to: provide, in a description area of the second demonstration page, a second action link that represents a second navigation element within the second demonstration page, wherein the second action link is associated with a third demonstration page; and in response to a selection of the second action link, dynamically build the third demonstration page and display the third demonstration page to the user via said media output component.

13. A device in accordance with claim 7 , wherein said processor is further programmed to modify the at least one content element using a layout component, wherein the layout component specifies at least one positional characteristic of the at least one content element.

14. A device in accordance with claim 7 , wherein said processor is further programmed to: retrieve at least one object definition from an object component, wherein the at least one object definition includes a data component to be displayed to the user; and update the first demonstration page to include the data component.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-executable instructions for demonstrating a software application having a plurality of demonstration pages, said computer-executable instructions configured to cause a computer that is not connected to a network to: retrieve from a memory area an ordered list of demonstration pages, wherein the ordered list includes a first demonstration page and a second demonstration page subsequent to the first demonstration page, each demonstration page in the ordered list is associated with a page template that is stored in the memory area, and wherein the first demonstration page represents a user interface provided by the software application when the software application is executed by a remote computing device; receive a request from a user for the first demonstration page; retrieve a first page template for the first demonstration page and populate the retrieved page template with data corresponding to the selected first demonstration page; identify from the populated template at least one content element having at least a navigation element, and modify the identified navigation element by associating executable code with the navigation element to refer to the second demonstration page, the associated executable code referencing at least an index position of the second demonstration page; update a current page identifier based on an index position of the first demonstration page within the ordered list, and wherein the ordered list further includes an array of indexed positions for the plurality of demonstration pages; display the first demonstration page; and in response to a selection of the navigation element in the first demonstration page, execute the associated executable code and dynamically build the second demonstration page based on a second page template, update the current page identifier with the index position of the second page, and display the second demonstration page.

16. A computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein said computer-executable instructions are further configured to cause the computer to: retrieve from the memory area user instructions explaining how the user may interact with the first demonstration page; and display in the first demonstration page a description area that includes the user instructions.

17. A computer-readable medium according to claim 16 , wherein said computer-executable instructions are further configured to cause the computer to: provide in the description area an action link that represents the navigation element; and in response to a selection of the action link, display the second demonstration page.

18. A computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein said computer-executable instructions are further configured to instruct a cause the computer to: specify at least one positional characteristic of the at least one content element; and modify the at least one content element based at least in part on the at least one positional characteristic.

19. A computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein said memory further comprises, at least one object definition including a data component to be displayed to a user, wherein said computer-executable instructions are further configured to cause the computer to: retrieve the at least one object definition; and update the first demonstration page to include the data component.